More drone attacks against Russian targets have been reported in Crimea
The unconfirmed reports follow a string of attacks against Russian military sites and equipment in the annexed peninsula over the past week
Unverified videos appear to show smoke rising from the area in Sevastopol where Russia's Black Sea fleet is based
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s president says the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant can start to be restored by a visit of international inspectors
Voldymyr Zelensky was speaking after Vladimir Putin said UN officials would be granted permission to visit the site
Moscow and Kyiv have blamed each other for shelling the complex, which is controlled by Russia, raising fears of a catastrophe
We're now closing our live coverage of the war in Ukraine. Thanks for joining us.
Your writers today have been Catherine Evans, Nadeem Shad and Adam Durbin, and the page has been edited by Alex Therrien.
We'll soon be bringing today's live coverage of the Ukraine war to a close. But before we do, here's a quick summary of the day's key developments:
Crimea
Zaporizhzhia
Elsewhere
Image source, GettyAs we've been reporting, the base of Russia's Black Sea fleet in Crimea has reportedly come under further drone attack. It follows a string of attacks on Russian targets in the peninsula, which was annexed from Ukraine in 2014, over the past week.
Western officials have been talking about the impact the attacks are having in Moscow.
In July, a drone strike derailed Navy Day celebrations in Sevastopol, according to Russian sources, and on 16 August thousands of Russian tourists witnessed an explosion at an arms depot on the peninsula.
The fact that explosions in Crimea - a place previously considered to be well beyond the reach of any Ukrainian attack - was watched by so many, many of whom have since fled Crimea back into Russia, has been felt in the country's capital, according to officials speaking only on background.
Russians are attempting to use Turkey to bypass Western sanctions, according to the US Treasury.
Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo issued the warning during a phone call with Turkey's Deputy Finance Minister Yunus Elitas while the pair were discussing ongoing efforts to enforce sanctions, the Treasury Department says in a statement.
Image source, GoogleThe Russian-installed mayor of Ukraine's Mariupol, Kostyantyn Ivashchenko, has reportedly survived an assassination attempt on a visit to a zoo.
In a Telegram post, Petro Andryushchenko, an aide to the former head of the city before Russia seized it, writes: "There was an attempt on the life of gauleiter Ivashchenko in Mariupol.
"Unfortunately, it was not very successful. But this is only a beginning."
The Novosti Donbassa website quotes claims by a Russian state TV reporter that Ivashchenko was in a car when an explosive device went off at the entrance to the city's zoo.
The BBC has not been able to verify this, but it has also been reported by Russian agency RIA Novosti, as well as a number of Telegram channels.
Image source, Mykolaiv Regional State AdministrationAt least three children and eight other people have been wounded by Russian shelling in Voznesensk, a town near Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine, local authorities have said.
Two children are seriously hurt after the attack on a five-story residential building, with one needing eye surgery earlier, the local prosecutor's office has said.
Prosecutors insisted that there are no military facilities in the area and said investigators are looking into the attack as a possible war crime.
Image source, Mykolaiv Regional State Administration
Image source, REX/ShutterstockUN Secretary-General Guterres visited a port in Odesa, Ukraine, yesterday
Earlier, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres held a press conference in Turkey after another two grain ships left Ukraine today.
At the joint coordination centre in Istanbul, Turkey, Guterres said he had been "deeply moved" watching a ship carrying grain heading to the Horn of Africa during his visit to Ukraine.
He said it was "of enormous importance to humanity", helping to provide "urgently needed relief for those suffering from acute hunger" around the world.
The safe passage of the vessels has been enabled through the UN-brokered deals with Turkey, Russia and Ukraine last month.
Guterres added that enabling the transport of food and fertiliser from Russia is also critical as the cost of living crisis deepens.
"It is important that all governments and the private sector cooperate to bring them to market," he said.
Chris Partridge
BBC News
The series of unexplained explosions in Russian-occupied Crimea has been surprising – not least because it is one of the areas most heavily defended from air attacks.
It’s believed Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile (SAM) units were deployed to the peninsula earlier this year. They are some of the most advanced in the world.
While they defend against aircraft and larger missiles, the S-400s are protected by smaller SAMs like the Pantsir, delivering a two-layered defence system.
Moscow has blamed sabotage for some of the Crimea incidents, indicating some kind of special military operation perhaps by Ukrainian forces – or those loyal to Kyiv.
The airbase attack at Saky on 9 August wiped out at least eight Russian jets, including Su-30s and Su-24s assigned to the Black Sea fleet for protection.
Image source, US Air Force/Airman 1st Class Leon RedfernAn AGM-88 being loaded on to US Air Force jet
There is an additional factor to consider: the US decision to send AGM-88 high speed anti-radiation missiles (HARM) to Ukraine.
The Ukrainian military has cleverly adapted some of their Russian-built fighter jets – Mig-29s - to accommodate missiles originally developed for western aircraft.
It’s not clear the level of integration - and Ukrainian pilots might not have the full functionality of the weapons system that’s enjoyed by their American counterparts.
But their role could be pivotal, as HARMs can destroy the radars of SAMs and early warning anti-air systems, effectively rendering them useless.
Ukraine war: Billowing smoke after strike in Sevastopol
More drone attacks against Russian targets have been reported in occupied Crimea.
BBC News has not been able to independently verify the above footage, but it appears to show smoke rising from the area where Russia's Black Sea fleet is based in the city of Sevastopol.
The Russian-installed leader of Sevastopol said that a Ukrainian drone had been shot down in the area, but that no one was hurt.
It follows a string of attacks against military targets and equipment in the annexed peninsula over the past week.
Image source, ReutersWe've been reporting about the possibility of UN inspectors visiting the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
Here's a recap of what's been happening at the site since the war began:
Elsewhere in Ukraine, Russian forces attempted assaults in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka sectors in the Donbas region, Ukraine's General Staff reports in its morning update on Facebook.
In the Kharkiv region, attempted Russian attacks near Borshchova were said to have been "unsuccessful".
But the entire city of Melitopol in the Zaporizhzhia region heard "powerful explosions" last night, mayor Ivan Fedorov said on Telegram, adding that a Russian military base was reportedly hit.
In the Kherson and Mykolayiv regions, Russian troops attempted an attack near Blahodatne and Partyzanske, Ukraine's Operational Command South reports on Facebook.
The Ukrainian army repelled a Russian attack near Tavriyske, it said.
Ukrainian aviation made 11 strikes on Russian positions, killing 17 Russian troops, the command added.
Ukraine displays destroyed Russian tanks in Kyiv
Ukraine has set up a 'parade' of destroyed Russian tanks and armour along a road in Kyiv often used for military processions.
Up until Saturday the vehicles - most of which were destroyed in the first weeks of the war - were set up outside the iconic St Michael's Monastery as a reminder of Russia's aggression.
They were moved by cranes and lorries this morning to Khreshchatyk Street, in preparation for Ukraine's independence day on 24 August.
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Last year the road was the site of a large patriotic rally and military parade as a show of strength.
This year it will instead be given over to the evidence of Ukraine's success at destroying Russian hardware.
The appearance of the destroyed armoured vehicles has prompted much Ukrainian humour on social media.
The running joke is that the Russians are finally staging a military parade in Kyiv, if not the one they likely had planned.
Hugo Bachega
Reporting from Odesa
The string of incidents against Russian targets in Crimea has fuelled speculation of Ukrainian involvement. Crimea was invaded and annexed by Russia in 2014, and Ukraine has vowed to retake it.
Russia hasn’t openly accused Ukraine of being behind the incidents. And Ukraine hasn’t confirmed or denied involvement, although some officials have suggested Ukraine was responsible.
If that’s true, there’s the obvious question: how did they do it?
Was it the work of pro-Ukraine groups or individuals inside Crimea? Russia has built a heavy military presence since it occupied the peninsula. If that’s the case, the fact several of its facilities have been attacked represents a massive security failure.
Or was it the result of rocket attacks? Officially, Ukraine doesn’t have weapons capable of striking so deep into Russian-controlled territory, away from the frontlines. Confirmation of this would indicate a still unknown capacity.
Nevertheless, as Western officials say, these incidents are having major operational and psychological impact on Moscow’s forces.
Image source, ReutersSmoke clouds following an explosion in Crimea on 16 August
Here's a quick summary of the latest developments in Ukraine:
Image source, ReutersA £63m ($75m) Russian superyacht has been put up for auction after its oligarch owner was sanctioned by the UK, EU and US.
The Axioma was seized by authorities in Gibraltar in March after US bank JP Morgan claimed owner Dmitrievich Pumpyansky failed to pay a £17m ($20m) loan.
The 72.5m (238ft) vessel will go under the hammer in the British Overseas Territory's Admiralty Court on Tuesday.
The Axioma is the first seized luxury boat to be sold since restrictions were imposed on powerful Russians following the invasion.
It can sleep 12 people in six cabins with additional space for 20 crew, as well as containing a swimming pool, jacuzzi, spa, 3D cinema, jet skis and scuba diving equipment.
Because it is listed for only one day, the boat is anticipated to sell for less than its estimated value.
The money from the sale of Axioma is expected to go to JP Morgan.
Pumpyansky, who has an estimated £1.84bn fortune, is the owner and chair of steel pipe manufacturer OAO TMK, a supplier to the Russian state-owned energy company Gazprom.
James Waterhouse
Ukraine correspondent
Crimea has firmly been in Russian control for eight years.
Out of all the Ukrainian territory which Moscow has taken, its grip has been tightest around this southern peninsula.
So much so, Russian tourists have felt comfortable and secure enough to use it as a regular holiday destination.
That was until two weeks ago.
The sight of two erupting ammunition depots and people subsequently cutting their breaks short has been met with delight from Ukraine, which has never accepted responsibility.
Russian-installed officials have described the goal of today’s reported drone strikes as “not a military one, but a psychological one”.
Even if it was coincidental that a “shot down” drone happened to land on the roof of Russia’s Black Sea fleet headquarters, the destabilising effect of Crimea being pulled into this conflict is undeniable.
Local authorities both having to admit there were attacks, as well as telling people to “stay calm”, shows not all is well in their fortress Crimea.
Four Russian missiles have been shot down over eastern Ukraine, says the Ukrainian UNIAN news agency.
According to the reports, which have been seen but not confirmed by the BBC, Ukrainian air defence forces intercepted four Russian Kalibr missiles over the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region.
"Cool start to Saturday [20 August] from our military," the head of the regional military administration, Valentyn Reznichenko, was quoted as saying.
"Our air defence shot down over Dnipropetrovsk region all four Kalibr missiles that the Russians aimed at the region. Glory to our military!"
The commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Valeriy Zaluzhnyy, reportedly said that four S-300 missiles were used to shoot down the Kalibr missiles, close to the city of Dnipro.
Hugo Bachega
reporting from Odesa
António Guterres, the UN Secretary General, told me there were two priorities to reduce tensions around the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia complex.
First, to create a demilitarised zone in the station, something Russia has rejected, claiming it would make this complex more vulnerable. Second, to allow international monitors into the complex.
Today, it seems there’s a window for that to happen.
There are no details of when and how such a mission will be carried out.
The French presidency says presidents Macron and Putin will talk again in the next few days to discuss it.
Russia appears to have dropped its demand that inspectors should travel to the plant through Russian-controlled territory, something that had been previously rejected by the Ukrainian government.
There’s no guarantee yet that this a done deal. If a visit does happen, it could mark a de-escalation of tensions that raised fears of a catastrophe.
Image source, ReutersFile photo of the Russian missile cruiser Moskva, the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, which was sunk in April.
Earlier this week Russian state media reported that the Black Sea fleet's commander, Igor Osipov, had been replaced in light of recent attacks in Crimea.
The RIA news agency said the fleet's new chief, Viktor Sokolov, had been introduced to military leaders at the port of Sevastopol.
Moscow currently seems to be trying to re-arm its beleaguered fleet.
State media reported that Admiral Sokolov told a group of young officers that they will receive 12 new vessels, alongside additional aviation and land-based vehicles later this year.
He insisted that the fleet has been "successfully completing all the tasks set for it" during the invasion, Russia's Tass news agency reported.
Chris Partridge
BBC News
In other news, the United States has announced another tranche of weapons for Ukraine - this one totalling $775m.
The package includes more High Speed Anti Radiation Missiles (HARMs) for attack on Russian surface-to-air missile radar systems, along with early warning radar facilities.
The missiles are being integrated into existing Ukrainian aircraft - Mig-29s - not an easy task because they are Russian-built with very different avionics systems compared to Western jets. But war tends to accelerate development progress, so perhaps it is no surprise that this has been achieved by Ukraine.
Ground-launched anti-armour capability gets a boost to Kyiv, too. For the first time, 1,500 TOW missiles - Tube-Launched, Optically Tracked, Wire-Guided missiles - are being supplied. The Pentagon has also committed to a steady flow of precision-guided munitions for HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) too.
Further down the announcement is reference to "demolition munitions". These too have been supplied before in the shape of C-4, a malleable explosive that’s been around for more than 60 years.
With rumours of Ukrainian special operations responsible for at least some of the explosions at Russian-occupied military bases in Crimea, this is interesting.
Russia has said sabotage was carried out, without offering any further explanation about what happened at the sites.